Chapter 97

The guard splashed a bowl of cold tea on Chu Shaoyang's face. Chu Shaoyang twitched slightly and slowly opened his eyes, dazed for a moment before slowly saying, "Where... where is this?"

"The Eighteenth Level of Hell, do you believe it?" Chu Shaoling looked at Chu Shaoyang coldly and mocked, "Didn't you always want to return to the imperial capital? Big brother sent people to bring you back."

Chu Shaoyang had been unconscious for two days. Now that he had woken up, he was still a bit disoriented. As previous events slowly came back to him, he recalled that he had been in that manor in Pingyu fief when suddenly bandits came, shouting and demanding things. He ordered his men to go out and defend, while he himself hid in the inner chamber, but was captured by several men in black. And then it was now.

Chu Shaoyang understood and sneered, "I get it, big brother wants to ascend the throne, so naturally he can't tolerate me and hurriedly captured me to silence me?"

"Silence you," Chu Shaoling chuckled lightly, "You don't know yet? I've already killed you. Right now in the imperial capital, they are preparing for your funeral. The Ministry of Internal Affairs has even decided on your posthumous title - Prince Guang, how nice."

Chu Shaoyang was stunned for a moment and angrily said, "You told others that I'm already dead?!"

Chu Shaoling nodded, "Yes, after my secret guards put you in the carriage, they set fire to your manor. The entire street went up in flames. Without your corpse, there's nothing strange about it."

"I'm already dead," Chu Shaoyang suddenly laughed, "I'm already dead? I'm dead..."

Chu Shaoyang raised his eyes and glared at Chu Shaoling, viciously saying, "Big brother has quite the scheme! He even took advantage of the Western barbarians using Pingyu's official road to harm your younger brother. I admire that."

Chu Shaoling shook his head, "You flatter me, your methods aren't bad either. Even after being exiled by the Emperor to that small place Pingyu, you didn't hestitate to cause trouble. First you enticed Chu Shaoruan to use aphrodisiacs to harm me. When that failed, during the Liaoliang war, you colluded with the enemy in treason, wanting to use Wei Ji to harm me."

Thinking of how Chu Shaoyang had repeatedly used Wei Ji as a target, Chu Shaoling wished he could tear him apart alive. Chu Shaoling bent down, grabbed Chu Shaoyang's collar with one hand and stared straight into Chu Shaoyang's eyes, "If Wei Ji hadn't escaped with his life that day, you would have had more room to play, right? The Cavalry General being captured at the front, the Crown Prince ceding territory for the sake of a man - just these two points would have been enough to take Wei Ji's life, and also make the Emperor strip me of my position as Crown Prince. At that time, with the three princes above successively falling from grace, wouldn't this world be yours?"

Chu Shaoling looked at Chu Shaoyang's furious eyes and chuckled lightly, "Too bad, man proposes but God disposes. Wei Ji wasn't surrounded by Liaoliang soldiers, but instead made great contributions. Hehe, you must have hated it when you heard the news, right?"

Chu Shaoyang said in a low, vicious voice, "I only hate that I didn't finish off that dog guard when I was in the imperial capital! Indulging him..."

With a slap, Chu Shaoling backhanded Chu Shaoyang, interrupting his words, and said lightly, "Wei Ji is now a noble as a duke, no longer a guard."

Chu Shaoling let go of Chu Shaoyang and pushed him, making him stagger. Chu Shaoling stood up and said coldly, "Let's not mention those past matters anymore. You should be clear on how many times you've harmed me. Now I only have one question for you - when did you start harboring ill intentions towards me?"

Chu Shaoyang heard this and after a long while, shook his head, "I don't remember."

Chu Shaoling closed his eyes for a moment. In his previous life, he had also asked Chu Shaoyang this question, and Chu Shaoyang had also answered like this - he didn't remember. How long ago was that? Perhaps even before Empress Ling had passed away, Chu Shaoyang had already started thinking of establishing his own power base.

Chu Shaoling laughed at himself and said softly, "In the past, I thought I treated you well. As long as you behaved yourself, I would protect you. After I ascended the throne, you would be the most respected prince of the Chu clan. Did that wrong you? Why did you have to fight with me? Even if you wanted this position, why didn't you tell me directly?"

Chu Shaoyang sneered, "The most respected prince is still just a prince. We are both legitimate princes, why should you always be ahead of me in everything? Besides, if I told you I wanted to be emperor, would you give me the position of crown prince?"

Chu Shaoling laughed lightly in his heart. If there was no Wei Ji, if Chu Shaoyang had never harmed him, if there weren't all these complicated past events, he would have.

But there was no need to say this to Chu Shaoyang. Even if he said it, Chu Shaoyang probably wouldn't believe it.

Chu Shaoling suddenly felt very tired and didn't want to say more to Chu Shaoyang. He turned his head and said lightly to the secret guard, "Do it."

The secret guard bowed and took out a small porcelain bottle from his bosom and walked towards Chu Shaoyang. Chu Shaoyang's heart turned cold. He struggled and retreated while shouting, "What is this? Chu Shaoling! You..."

The secret guard said in a deep voice, "Rest assured, Prince Guang, this is the finest Heartbreak Powder. After taking one bottle, you'll be gone in less than the time to drink a cup of tea. You won't suffer much."

After saying that, the secret guard grabbed Chu Shaoyang's chin and was about to pour the medicine. Chu Shaoyang knew that he couldn't save his life after his defeat. He had originally anticipated these things and wanted to be tough before leaving, not wanting to be laughed at by Chu Shaoling in the end.

Who knew that in the end, he was still afraid and begged tremblingly, "Big brother! Big brother!! Spare me, you're about to ascend the throne, I won't be able to hinder you anymore. Spare me, send me to Yunnan, I won't come back again. Now this world is already yours, whether I live or die makes no difference. Big brother..."

Chu Shaoling turned his head and mocked, "Originally I wanted you to end your own life, but as expected, you don't have the courage. Chu Shaoyang, are you giving up even the last dignity of a prince?"

"I don't want to! I don't want to die! Big brother, I'm your own brother," Chu Shaoyang started crying, "Mother is watching us from heaven, aren't you afraid of breaking her heart by treating me like this? Before mother passed away, you swore an oath! You swore to take care of me for life! Chu Shaoling!! Have you forgotten?!"

Hearing this, Chu Shaoling's anger in his heart grew even stronger. He sneered, "You still dare to mention mother? You still have the face to mention mother?! Haha, if I'm your own brother, aren't you also my own brother? When you were harming and injuring me, how come you didn't think of mother then?! If mother's spirit is in heaven, she must also want me to finish you off quickly!"

Chu Shaoling walked closer and looked at Chu Shaoyang coldly, "Go to the afterlife in peace. After you die, I will go to the Imperial Ancestral Temple and apologize to mother. Mother in heaven has also seen all the things you've done to me over the years, I'm sure she will understand me..."

Chu Shaoling turned and left the cellar. From inside, he could hear Chu Shaoyang's venomous curses continuing, but after about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the noise gradually faded and there was no more movement. Chu Shaoling closed his eyes for a moment. In the previous life, Chu Shaoyang had caused his death; in this life, he had personally dealt with him. Karma had come full circle, and the grudges between him and Chu Shaoyang over two lifetimes were settled.

The secret guard also exited the cellar and bowed, saying, "Your Highness, it's done. As for the corpse..."

"Burn it, and bury the ashes anywhere."

Chu Shaoling let out a long sigh of relief as he went out the door and got into the sedan chair. Thinking back to what had just happened, he couldn't help but laugh a little. Consort Li, Chu Shaoruan, the Emperor, Chu Shaoyang - although he had not personally dealt with all of them, before each of them died, they had all cursed him with words so vicious that even Chu Shaoling himself couldn't have imagined them. Chu Shaoling couldn't help finding it a bit amusing. It seemed it was true what they said - that one could commit all kinds of evil deeds and be cursed by everyone, yet still be fine in the end. Wasn't he doing just fine now?

Rubbing his temples, Chu Shaoling hesitated for a moment before saying, "Change course. To the Imperial Ancestral Temple."

The personal guard accompanying him outside the sedan softly advised, "Your Highness, it was already late when we left. If we go to the Ancestral Temple now, I'm afraid by the time we return to the palace, the gates will be locked for the night."

"No matter. Let's go."

Unlike the Emperor, Consort Li, and the others, Chu Shaoyang was, after all, the younger brother he had once doted on. Chu Shaoling had sworn an oath at Empress Ling's sickbed to protect Chu Shaoyang and never let him suffer the slightest grievance in his entire life. He had indeed broken his word.

Inside the Imperial Ancestral Temple, Chu Shaoling solemnly held up three sticks of incense and kowtowed three times, offering incense to Empress Ling. After that, he knelt properly on the prayer mat, staring at the memorial tablet on the incense table, lost in thought. "Empress Ling. Filial, Tranquil, Dignified, Benevolent, Solemn, Temperate, Sincere, Compliant with Heaven, Praised, Revered, Respected."

Chu Shaoling gazed at the memorial tablet for a long time without speaking. He had originally wanted to explain a few things to Empress Ling, but now, looking at her tablet, he no longer knew what to say. Empress Ling had seen everything from above, hadn't she? If he didn't kill Chu Shaoyang, he could only wait for Chu Shaoyang to kill him. Chu Shaoling could not die, so he could only eliminate Chu Shaoyang.

Chu Shaoling couldn't find the words to say anything. He just knelt there quietly as heavy snow began falling outside once more. He himself didn't know how long he had been kneeling when a voice came from outside. The attendant in the ancestral temple softly said from beyond the hall, "Crown Prince..."

Chu Shaoling said indifferently, "I wish to pay respects to Empress Ling. Don't say anything more."

The attendant paused, then spoke again. "Crown Prince, Duke Wei has arrived."

Chu Shaoling turned his head to look outside. Wei Ji, wearing a snowy white fox fur, bowed and said, "The roads are slippery in the snow. This subject has come to respectfully escort Your Highness back to the palace."

Chu Shaoling got up and walked out, asking in a low voice, "What are you doing here? Aren't you cold?"

Wei Ji shook his head. "This subject is not cold. Your Highness, the night is already late. Why disturb Empress Ling's eternal rest?"

Wei Ji did not know what Chu Shaoling had encountered today, but based on instinct, he sensed that Chu Shaoling was in a bad mood. For Chu Shaoling to come to the Imperial Ancestral Temple so late, it must not have been for anything good.

Tomorrow would be the twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month. Could it be because of Empress Ling's memorial day? Wei Ji lowered his eyes and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness's filial piety is unceasing. This subject understands. But as parents, there are none who do not wish for their children to be safe and happy at all times. Tomorrow is Empress Ling's memorial day. If Empress Ling is aware in the underworld, she would not want to see Your Highness suffering, kneeling for so long in the temple."

Chu Shaoling couldn't help but laugh. "You sound more and more like an old man now, always saying these kinds of things."

Wei Ji couldn't fathom what Chu Shaoling was thinking. Seeing Chu Shaoling laugh, he deliberately said, "This subject is also a father now, so naturally I can empathize with a parent's loving heart."

Chu Shaoling couldn't hold back a laugh. He nodded. "Yes, I forgot. You're a father now too. Forget it, I'll listen to you. Come in with me to kowtow to Imperial Mother, and then we'll go back."

"Your Highness..." Wei Ji hesitated. "This subject entering the main hall - I'm afraid it's not in accordance with protocol, is it?"

Chu Shaoling said indifferently, "What protocol? Just come in."

Afraid of displeasing Chu Shaoling, Wei Ji had no choice but to follow him into the main hall and solemnly kowtow nine times to Empress Ling. Kneeling on the prayer mat, Chu Shaoling watched Wei Ji kowtowing with a solemn expression and silently said in his heart, "Imperial Mother, do you see? This is Wei Ji."

After they finished kowtowing, Chu Shaoling helped Wei Ji up. The two left the Imperial Ancestral Temple together and got into the sedan chair. Wei Ji's heart was still uneasy. He really wanted to ask Chu Shaoling what had happened today, but at this moment, Chu Shaoling's expression was no different from usual. Wei Ji was afraid he wouldn't say the right thing, and one wrong sentence would upset Chu Shaoling again. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Your Highness, um, it's already late. Why don't you stay at the Qin Prince Manor tonight?"

Chu Shaoling nodded. Seeing the worried look on Wei Ji's face, his heart ached. He lowered his head and kissed Wei Ji on the lips, murmuring, "I'm fine now. Today I just wanted to go say a few words to Imperial Mother, that's all. It's not a big deal."

"As long as you're okay. If there's anything else, Your Highness can tell this subject too." Wei Ji affectionately kissed Chu Shaoling's lips. "Empress Ling has been resting for many years. How can we disturb her peace? Isn't it better to tell this subject if there's anything on your mind?"

The sound of the night watch could be heard from outside. It was the third quarter of the hour of the rat - already the twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month.

Chu Shaoling smiled. "All right, I won't do it again."

It was true. He wouldn't do it again. The last person had been personally sent off by him. In the three years since his rebirth, starting from this day, he had taken back everything that others owed him in his previous life.

After today, there would be no more revenge. In his heart, there was only Wei Ji left.